Street Books Delivers Literature to Portland's Homeless

Portland-based artist/writer Laura Moulton is the genius behind Street Books, a mobile library for the homeless. Street Books offers those who live on Portland's streets the opportunity to read everything from classic titles to modern hits.

Fun fact: to get a library card you must have a proof of address. Since the homeless don't have an address, they cannot get a library card and thus the need for Street Books. Moulton uses a card catalog to keep track of who checks out what and a return policy that makes heavy use of the honor system. Moulton is not paid for operating Street Books but does accept donations in the form of new books. In addition to books, stories and photos of patrons are also collected and published on Street Books' website.